Phoenix Feathers
by Clockwork's Apprentice
Summary: Fia Kasai was had a short temper, loved playing with fire, and was pretty hot- no, not just in looks. She was a Phoenix (a fire bird) in disguise. Hiding from men that would want to use her powers of life for evil- she finds herself hiding at a high school…Sweet Amoris High.
1. Prologue

**Author Note: Inspiration for this? Too much SCP Foundation- I have spent hours reading each and every monster profile on SCP-wiki (just type it in the search bar, and it's a net not a com). **

**~CWA**

**Title: **Phoenix Feathers  
**Summary: **Fia Kasai was had a short temper, loved playing with fire, and was pretty _hot-_ no, not just in looks. She was a Phoenix (a fire bird) in disguise. Hiding from men that would want to use her powers of life for evil- she finds herself hiding at a high school…Sweet Amoris High.

**Rated: **T

**Genre: **Romance/Humor

**Disclaimer: **_I do not own nor claim My Candy Love. I do own OCs. _

**Notes: **Gosh, background on a phoenix so you can get a good idea- Phoenixes were thought as birds of fire that symbolized growth because they were thought to have powers of regeneration- coming back from life, rising from the ashes.

**Prologue**

**Fia: **  
_Flying, I got to keep flying. _A shot hit my wing and I grunted as I fell to the ground, _okay, running, gotta keep running. It'll take awhile for the wing to heal…_I ducked as bullet flew past my head, _…If I don't die first. I gotta get out of here- I gotta be free._

I continued running. I didn't look back at the people I knew were chasing me by the sound of their footsteps, the gunshots, and the dogs' barking. I wasn't going to give in so easily. I would _never_ go back.

I looked up at the night sky, I missed daylight more than the moonlight but I would take what I could get since I haven't seen it since I was very little- when I was four. It was before I was captured. _Dang that means I've been in that hell hole for like, what, twelve years I think. _

As soon as I felt my wing was healed enough, which was about thirty minutes of heavy, non-stop running after I got the wound, I started to flap my wings. I didn't care about the few red feathers of fire that fell down to the ground and slowly fizzled out before being trampled.

"_Freeze,"_ a guy on the helicopter shouted as they chased me.

"Not in my vocabulary," I shouted back as I continued flying.

I wasn't sure how long I was flying and running, but I knew it wasn't well after the sun was up that I didn't hear them anymore. That made me mad. _I didn't get a chance to even look at the sunrise. Twelve years, my first chance to see a sunrise and I missed it. _I finally landed on a cliff and breathed heavily- trying to get my heartbeat to normal.

_Now, where do I go from here? Let's see- A. Stay on the run. B. Go as far as possible and try to 'settle down.' C. Go as Far as possible and lay low. _I thought about it and decided on _Option C- Go as far as I can and lay low. _Though, that would mean flying as less as I usually did so they didn't find me. _Damn it. I really like flying._ Frowning, I crossed my arms. _Still, it's better than being caught…I'm still pissed that I missed my first sunset and sunrise. I gotta stop sometime to watch that._

With my decision made, I flew off the cliff and didn't stop flying until I felt I was far enough. Granted, I only flew half the time.

**000**

I landed far from the next town so I knew there wasn't a chance that someone saw me. Unluckily for me, I wasn't able to make my wings disappear- _yet._ It was a pain since I had to cut holes on the backs of my shirts and bra straps had to be exactly at the middle of my back. The wings came out of my back just at my shoulder blades and _no it doesn't hurt unless you tug on them really really hard._ I hid the wings by tucking them in and wearing a long black jacket. It was a trench-coat like jacket that was pure black and pretty stylish from a jacket I snagged off a biker.

I walked into the diner thankful that I had money- _stolen money is still money. _The second I sat down, the waiter came over. She was very…_annoying…._yet she had a motherly feel to her. She looked me over skeptically and I didn't blame her. I mean, my long brown hair had to be a mess. My red eyes set a lot of people off. The black jacket had to give off the '_don't mess with me'_ vibe and my clothes I was wearing underneath it were dirty and torn. I tried to look as tough as she thought me to be….until my stomach growled. Then I blushed slightly and put my hands over my stomach cursing my hunger. She laughed,

"Aw, darlin' you a gem that's for sure! What will ya have?"

_Her accent…I must be somewhere a bit out in the country…maybe I'm in Kentucky? Or Alabama? I am not sure…I should have paid more attention to state signs. _I looked at the menu and licked my lips,

"….Can I have a steak? Medium rare?"

She laughed,

"'Course ya can darlin.' I'll tell Dan to fix it right up for ya."

She left and I sighed. I rested my head against the table. _I'm so pissed at myself. I've been running and flying for who-knows-how-long trying to get as far as I can before I collapse and I still haven't paid attention to the sunsets and sunrises that I really want to see. Maybe I'm just a bit scared that I'll be caught if I stop to admire the view? _I chuckled to myself, _yeah right. Me? Scared? Not gonna happen. _

The waiter, that I now realized had a name tag that read _Susie, _came back with what I asked for. I was almost drooling. _When was the last time I ate? Or even ate a good meal? Shit, it's been like years since I even had steak. I don't even think I ever really had steak. _I took a large bite from it and savored the taste.

"This…is…delicious," I cheered.

The waiter laughed,  
"I'll be sure to tell Dan that!"

**0000**

Before I knew it, I was back to running and flying. At least now I was doing it with a full stomach and the black jacket in my arms- since I couldn't wear it while flying so my wings could be free. Either way, I was flying pretty far from the diner. I reached the next state over and yawned. _No, no sleep. Sleep is bad. I gotta keep going._

My eyelids fluttered, _Body don't you dare betray me now! _I closed my eyes against my will, my bodies need overcoming my self-will. I knew it would happen if I didn't sleep. I haven't slept in…maybe five days? I was too busy flying- and that alone took up a lot of energy. I was going to crash and burn…_literally on the crash part. _I had no control as my body spiraled out of control and fell from the sky- landing outside a small town with a loud CRASH. _At least….I'm…sort of…safe….not in town…hidden in a field….okay…body you win…_that was my last conscious thought as sleep took over me.

When I woke up, the sun was high in the air- _Dang it. I was hoping to catch the sunrise. _I got up and spread my wings- to find that a lot of feathers had fallen to the ground. I wasn't concerned. That was what birds did- we lost feathers. Granted my wings were like a burning fire- literally. The feathers were on fire. When the feathers detached from my wings they land on the ground and lose the flame. The feathers stayed lit up and on fire for just a second and then fizzled out- leaving just a normal feather behind. I picked up one of my feathers, _thought they are really freaking gorgeous. _

The feather I held, like my other feathers, were bright red at the ends and then as it went to the middle it faded to yellow and at the stem it was blue. The stem itself was blue- like the colors of fire. The feather was really soft and I loved the feeling of it. _Phoenix feathers- very beautiful, a sign of life, deadly, and very valuable. Also known as a reason I was captured._

I tucked my wings in and put the jacket on. I slowly started to walk to the town- _I wonder just where am I. _It took me a full ten minutes to get there. The sign was like a normal state sign or a city sign. I read it with a curious look, _Sweet Amoris, huh?_


	2. Spread My Wings

**Chapter 1- Spread My Wings:**

**Fia:**

_Okay, now where I can lay low? I don't have the money for an apartment. I could steal it but laying low requires a minimal criminal record. _I put my hands in the pockets of the jacket as I started to walk around the town. So far, it was pretty nice. It was one the nicest little towns I had seen so far on my trip. I planned to stay here for a while to lay low. It was the perfect place to lay low. I mean, those _monsters _probably thought that I would head to a big city and blend in. Therefore, small town Kansas…_or wherever this town is…_was an unpredicted move. It was a move that I was sure that they wouldn't think of. Not only that, but it was pretty far from where I started…_hence the crash in the first place. _

I kept walking, _okay so apartment is out. Maybe there's a park? If not I can always park it in the nearby country. _I saw a man walk down the street with white hair that had black tips at the end. Beside the guy was another dude with fire truck red hair. _Geesh, Sweet Amoris is full of all kinds of crazy and that's coming from me._

I was careful to avoid the two strange guys as I walked down the street. Unfortunately, we all stopped at the same stoplight to cross. I rolled my eyes,  
"Screw this."

The road was mostly empty and I just calmly walked into the traffic. I made it safely across, of course. I briefly looked back to see _Red_ laughing and _Victoria _seemed horrified. I chuckled to myself and then continued on. I stopped briefly to look through the window of a clothing shop. _Not too bad._ The guy in the window who was fixing a mannequin looked at me and I blushed slightly, cursing under my breath. Then I quickly continued on. _That guy looked like Victoria. _

I kept my head down as I continued walking. I got a glimpse of my reflection and winced. _Okay, I gotta fix the hair. _My long dark brown hair was sticking up in odd angles and frankly- it was a mess. There were so many knots and mangles. I rubbed my hand down my hair as I walked, trying to tame it. _Okay, I got some money- well, stolen money is still money…I gotta get a comb at least. _

I headed to the first dollar shop I saw and looked around. I grabbed a comb, a bottle of water, and a box of cigarettes. _I heard these are good with stress and it's never too late to start. _ I didn't buy soda pop- I haven't had it in so long I wasn't sure which one I would like. As I headed to pay for them, I shook my head. _I'm probably gonna regret this._ I switched the water for a 20 oz. bottle of a soda called _Dr. Pepper._ It looked like it would be good.

The cashier looked me over carefully and I scowled,

"What?"  
He shook his head, muttering something. I scowled deeper and before he could protest, I slammed the money on the counter and left. I grumbled and put the cigarettes in my jacket pocket. I stopped at a small diner there and went to the restroom. It was there that I finally got a good look at my reflection. _Okay, no wonder everyone was giving me those looks. _I splashed some water on my face- ignoring the other people in the public restroom. I got the comb and ran it through my hair, wincing when it hit all the knots. _There, now it's better. _

"Oh, you poor dearie."  
I jumped and turned to see…_a fairy? _Well, she was dressed like a fairy anyway and her hair was really long and purple. I looked at her confused and she giggled,

"Oh, dearie, you don't need to be scared of me! You look horrible."  
I scowled and she continued,

"Which is why I'm going to take you to my house! I'll get you all fixed up! I'll give you a hot meal too!"  
I softened my expression. _Okay she's cuckoo. But she did offer me a free meal and I know I can defend myself. _ I found myself walking with the freaky lady.

"Oh," she cheered, "I'm Auntie! And just what is your name?"  
"…Fia."

She giggled and then before I knew it- I was dragged out of the diner and into a small purple car. _Somehow I am not surprised that this chick owns a purple car. _I thought for a brief moment that someone might consider what she was doing _kidnapping…_. luckily, I wasn't a normal sane person.

**0000**

I couldn't help but stare at the large meal in front of me. _Food…delicious mouth-watering most likely unhealthy food…. glorious food. _Auntie watched with a large smile, as I spent no time devouring the food. _Yep, devour. No time to savor it- it's too good and I am way too hungry. _I ran a hand through my hair as I chewed- still not used to the short hair. Auntie insisted on cleaning up the tangled mane…and in the end, I just decided to let her cut it off. My long dark brown hair was now cut into a pixie cut that had slightly longer bangs and was shorter in the back. It was still a bit messy and naturally spiky looking.

Auntie, _I really need to find out her real name,_ just kept smiling,  
"Now, dearie, where did you run away from?"

I choked on my food,  
"Wh-what?"  
She tsk'ed at me,  
"I can spot a runaway from a mile away."  
"…then why did you help me?"  
_Going along with the idea of a runaway or something like that will be a lot easier than telling her the truth. I mean seriously, just how do you tell someone you're a supernatural creature that's not supposed to exist? And that said-supernatural creature is running from a top-secret organization that wants to kidnap me…I mean the creature…sell its feathers, test it, torture it, and vivisect it._

"Dearie," she said as she leaned forward, "you looked like you needed help…and you are welcome to stay here, okay?"  
"I couldn't possibly," I shifted and glanced around- looking everywhere but at her. She giggled,  
"Oh it's no problem! But I understand…How about we make a deal? You stop by and visit me at least once a week after school!"  
"…School?"  
"Well, I'll just enroll you at the high school- that's the other part of the deal. Okay?"

I looked at her shocked._ This woman is insane. She just met me and she's offering to help me and even sign me up for school? Who does that?  
"_….But I mean…it…How," I stuttered.

"Oh, it's simple," she laughed, "We'll just say I'm your aunt!"  
_Seriously, is this woman for real? I mean…seriously?  
_"….okay," I said slowly.

_After all, while I will probably hate high school- they wouldn't look there for me there. They wouldn't expect it. I have to stay one step ahead of them. _Auntie cheered,

"Oh that's so fabulous dearie! I'm sure you'll love it!"

_I really doubt it. I'm just doing this for cover…well, sort of. It's time to spread my wings and fly into the world of normal teenage hood. _


	3. First Day

**Author Note: IMPORTANT- Phoebe is pronounced like Fee-B. Fia is pronounced like Fee.**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 2- First Day:**

**Fia:**

I blinked awake slowly from a bird that was chirping in my ear.

"Ah," I protested as I swatted at the bird and it flew away only to return back.

_Okay, now I regret sleeping in the tree. _The bird sat on the branch in front of me and stared at me. It felt like its eyes were staring into my soul. I shivered slightly, _no it's just a bird…okay, it's a pretty bird._ It was a Red Lory Parrot, _I think._ I smiled faintly at the bird and it flew onto my shoulder.

"Huh, looks like I have a new friend."  
I petted the bird and it seemed to like it.  
"So…guess that means you'll need a name."  
It made the squawk-chirp noise again.

"How about…Pyro?"

It seemed to like the name so Pyro it was then. Still, I found it weird that the bird just randomly decided to make me its new owner. I looked at the sun.  
"….And missed the sunrise yet again…damn it."

I jumped down from the tree- thankful that the jacket stayed firmly on so my wings were still hidden. Pyro flew as I jumped but landed again on my shoulder.

"You're one weird bird," I muttered.

I headed to town and found out that it was seven in the morning…and I had school. Auntie had told me that I would have school. I might as well go. _It's cover and honestly…I'm a bit curious of high school. _I had gotten an education from my captors but not much and nothing like a high school experience. I stopped by the diner, used the public restroom, washed my face and mouth, combed my hair, and then headed to the high school. _Honestly, I am a bit shocked no one in the diner said anything about my bird. Then again, no one really saw me since there were no customers and the cook was in the back._

I looked to the bird,  
"Pyro…can you get me after school," I said and Pyro then flew away. _ The best part of being a phoenix- I can talk to birds._

I pulled the jacket a bit closer and then headed into the building that was _Sweet Amoris High. _The second I entered I was met by a small woman.

"You must be the new student! Phoebe Kasai?"  
_Phoebe Kasai…_I blinked in disbelief. Auntie said that she came up with a fake name but seriously? _Phoebe? I guess it sounds like Fia. _I nodded,  
"Fia," I corrected, "I prefer Fia."

_But like hell I'll willingly be called Phoebe._ She nodded,

"You need to see Nathaniel in the student council room."

Before I could reply back, she was gone. _Geesh, that was fast. Just where is the student council room? _I knew that in the end- I was going to get lost. I started to wonder around looking for it. _Now that I think about it, aren't birds supposed to have some natural GPS? Guess that doesn't apply to Phoenixes because damn it!_

I was in the courtyard and I scowled. _I was looking for the council room and I end up here?! _ I spotted Pyro in the tree and I glared at the bird. She was probably laughing- _yes she is. _

"What did that poor bird ever do to you?"  
I turned to see Red from the other day, the same guy that I had passed on the street. I shrugged,  
"She started it."

He scoffed,  
"A bird picked a fight with you?"  
"Yeah I know," I joked, "Who would fight this?"  
I gestured to myself and he made a gruff noise that I assumed was his chuckle.

"Castiel," he said.

"Phoebe, call me Fia."

**Nathaniel:  
**I turned as the door opened. I saw a girl who must have been the new student, _Phoebe Kasai. _She had short brown hair that was in a pixie cut yet the bangs were a bit longer. Her eyes were shocking red and she had on black jeans, a black neck-high shirt that seemed a bit tight on her and a very long black jacket that seemed a bit big for her. She scowled and then turned to me.  
"You, Nathaniel?"

I nodded.

"Yes. You must be the new student, Phoebe?"  
"Call me Fia."

"You need a 25 dollar student fee and a student ID."

She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. From the look on her face, she didn't seem that happy. She looked at me,  
"….What if we don't have the 25?"

I looked her and chuckled,  
"I'm sure your parents or guardian," I glanced at her papers, which listed _Agatha Fae _as her guardian, "can give you the money."

She scowled,  
"Whatever….I'll give it to ya tomorrow. Where can I get that ID?"  
I pinched the bridge of my nose at her attitude,  
"It's available at the dollar shop."  
She nodded and then without so much as a goodbye, she left.

**Fia:**

I was glad to get out of that dang room. Nathaniel, _AKA Tightwad, _was a bit too… goody for my tastes. I scowled and continued to the courtyard with my head down. Unluckily, with my head down I wasn't paying much attention where I was going.

"Ow," I muttered as I head-butted with someone's chest, causing me to land flat on butt. _Okay seriously, whoever said that birds are good with their directions- LIED. ALL LIES! _

I looked up and saw _Victoria. Ah, so apparently those two guys I saw on the street both go here. Interesting. _His hair was pure white with black tips. Up close, I was able to really notice his mis-matched eyes.

"Ah, my apologies," he held out a hand to help me up. I made a gruff noise and grabbed his hand to prop myself back into the standing position.

"My fault," I muttered.

He looked over me curiously,  
"Pardon if it's rude, but aren't you the girl from the other day?"  
"The one that walked straight into traffic?"  
He nodded and I shrugged,  
"Yep."

He looked at me a bit curiously,

"You do realize that you could have been hurt?"  
"Nope," I popped the 'p', "'cause I was a careful."  
"You call walking into traffic careful," he asked in disbelief.

"No one said I was sane," I shrugged, "So, _Victorian,_ you got a name?"

He looked briefly amused at the nickname as he shook his head,

"Lysander, and I believe you're the new student…Phoebe?"  
"Fia," I said, "It's Fia."  
**0000**

I finally arrived at the dollar shop- Pyro had followed me but she waited outside. I was greeted by the cashier.  
"Hey, I need the Student ID…"  
He handed me some papers to fill out. _Geesh, this isn't personal at all,_ I rolled my eyes.

_Name: Phoebe Kasai _

_Age: 17  
Astrological Sign: Leo_

_Likes: Fire, singing  
Dislikes: Being told what to do_

**00000**

After school, Castiel took me to the roof. It was kind of cool and I was sure it would have been cooler if I wasn't used to views like that.

"So," Castiel said as I took out a cigarette, "little girl smokes?"  
"Little girl can kick your ass," I growled- it was a promise not a threat. While I wasn't trained professionally to fight, I did know how to fight enough that I wouldn't get my ass kicked by some hot high school student.

He looked at me amused and after a few smokes, I put out the cigarette.  
"So, did you sneak up here," I asked.

"I have a key," he pointed out, "taken from the student council president."  
"Ah," I nodded, "You mean Mr. Tightwad."  
Castiel laughed.

**0000**

When I finally did leave school grounds, it didn't take long before Pyro flew onto my shoulder. I petted her under the chin,

"You're a kickass bird, ya know that?"

She made a chirp-like noise and I smiled faintly.

"Well, Pyro, today has been an interesting day. Should I go visit that Auntie person?"  
Pyro chirped and I shook my head,

"Yeah you're right, I should. Still…I wonder if today was weird, can tomorrow be any weirder?"


	4. My Make-Shift Flock

**Author Note: I'm sorry but from now on each chapter title will be bird/fire/phoenix related. I have the opportunity and I will not pass it up.  
~CWA**

**Chapter 3- My Make-shift Flock:**

**Fia:**

The wonderful alarm that was Pyro woke me up and I was upset that I didn't get to see the sunrise. _Damn it! It's been like what, a few weeks, since I came here and I still haven't gotten to see a damn sunrise or sunset!_ I jumped down from the tree- making sure that the large jacket was firmly in place. _Okay I have to go flying later because my wings feel so stiff. They're starting to get a bit sore._

Pyro flew from the tree and landed on my shoulder. I reached into my pockets and pulled out a small little bird treat that I had bought for her (using the last of my money actually). She gobbled it up quickly and chirped her appreciation. Then she started to poke at my pockets. I gently swatted her away,  
"Ay, I got no more treats for ya, damn bird."

She gently bit at my hair and I frowned,

"Okay, you're not just a damn bird."  
She chirped happily. I shook my head with a faint smile; _great my closest friend is a bird._ Then again, I was starting to consider Castiel, Lysander, and even Rosayla as good friends. Lysander balanced out Castiel and I's bad temper and rebellious nature. Rosayla was a good gal friend that was practically my best friend. In a way, together, we were a makeshift family, a flock.

**0000**

"Wifey," Rosayla cheered as she tackled me in a hug and I scowled,  
"Wifey?"  
She giggled,  
"We're best friends, so of course we have to call each other nicknames."  
"Rosayla," I sighed and she tsk'ed. I scowled,

"Fine…Wifey…where's Castiel and Lysander?"  
She smiled,

"Castiel went to the roof for a smoke and Lys-baby…I'm not sure. I think he left to go find his notebook."  
"He is so forgettable," I muttered and she nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that's Lys-baby…"

**0000**

"What are you doing?"

I turned around to see Castiel and he scoffed,  
"Don't stop on my account."

I scowled and continued what I was doing,  
"If you must know- Amber's been a total Queen Bitch…so I'm giving her locker a bit of a makeover."

I grinned evilly. Castiel raised an eyebrow as I continued with it. I stuffed the fake spiders in the locker and used the can of red spray paint to 'decorate' her locker. I spray painted the words _'down with the bitch.'_ I was pissed and I wasn't scared to show it. Luckily, Castiel didn't catch me when I added a more 'personal touch'- which was the words _Amber the Bitch_ melted into the metal of the locker VIA fire.

"Just how did you do that," Castiel pointed to the metal of the locker that was melted into the locker.  
"….lighter?"

He didn't seem that convinced. Just as I finished my piece of art, I heard footsteps and the faint voice of the principal. I smirked at the calm-looking Castiel. I tossed him the spray can,  
"Good luck, _Red."_

I gave him a two-finger salute and left him to face the fury of the principal.

**0000**

"Traitor," I hissed to Castiel as I used the soapy sponge to clean the graffiti on the walls.  
"You framed me," he pointed out.  
"You weren't exactly innocent," I snapped back gesturing to the graffiti walls.

The principal, as planned, caught Castiel in front of Amber's locker with the spray can in his hand. He was blamed for that and he told them that I was his partner in crime. In the end, we were both tasked to clean the graffiti and Nathaniel was with us to make sure we actually did it. In my defense, I didn't even know that Castiel really was guilty- he had graffiti the back walls of the school.

"As interesting as this is," Nathaniel said as he pinched the bridge of his nose, "the sooner you two clean it up the sooner we all can leave….Just a second I have to get something from the student council room."  
He shot a glare at us and then left. Castiel looked at me,  
"He's gone…ditch?"  
"Ditch," I agreed.

When Castiel and I exited the school, I was shocked to see Rosayla standing there waiting. She cheered,

"Finally! I've been waiting _forever."_

I blinked in shock,  
"Why?"  
"Because wifey, you promised to go shopping with me!"  
I cursed,

"Damn it."

Before I could get another word in, I was being dragged off into the night and the only the thing I could hear was Castiel's laughter. _That bastard. _

**00000**

As we reached the shop, Pyro had finally caught up with us. She landed on my shoulder and chirped. Rosayla blinked in confusion,

"Uhh…wifey, you have a bird on your shoulder."  
"A red lory parrot," I informed her, "and her name's Pyro."  
"She's your pet," Rosayla squealed, "She's so cute! You just let her roam free? How do you know she'll come back?"  
Honestly, I wasn't that surprised with Rosayla's babble. I sighed,  
"Yes she runs free, but she's really well trained and always comes to me after school."  
Rosayla cheered,  
"Aw she's so cute! I'm sure Leigh won't mind her in the shop if she's well behaved, you know? Won't ruin the clothes or poop everywhere."

I looked to Pyro and she chirped in understanding.

"She'll behave," I said and Rosayla smiled and then dragged me into the shop. I knew Leigh- not very well but I did know him. He raised an eyebrow,  
"Rosayla, who is your friend and why does she have a bird?"

"Leigh,' Rosayla cheered as she kissed his cheek, "This is my wifey!"

She put an arm around my shoulders and Leigh looked like he was going to scream or faint from shock.

"Does…._ your wife…_have a name?"  
"Phoebe, call me Fia," I answered smoothly.

"And just…why is there a bird on your shoulder?"  
"She's my other lover," I said with a straight face and Leigh sighed in annoyance. Rosayla laughed.

"Come on wifey! We're going to get you some new clothes!"  
"Wait," I protested, "I can't….Rosayla, I don't have any money," I admitted, "I can't get new clothes. I mean, I'll try them on with you and all that but-"  
"Nonsense," Leigh waved me off, "Rosayla, she can have one outfit free."  
I looked at him in shock and he continued,

"You are a friend of Rosayla's after all and it _is_ my shop."

Then Rosayla shoved me into a changing room. Pyro squawked and flew off my shoulder. She settled for perching on Leigh's shoulder instead.  
"Is she going to stay there?"

I laughed,

"Sorry, but most likely until Rosayla stops _jerking me around!"_

Rosayla shut the changing room door in my face as she started to toss clothes over the top of the door,  
"Try all of these on!"

I was buried under a pile of clothes. I looked around the changing room. _Just enough space._ I took off my jacket first and my wings spread out. I spread them out as much as I could. Then I looked at the clothes. I knew Rosayla wouldn't let me free unless I tried something on. I carefully took off my current shirt and jeans and tossed them in a pile with my jacket. I turned my attention to the other pile of clothes- that Rosayla had made when she tossed the clothes over the door. It was a lot of clothes, shoes, and even handbags.

I found a strapless shirt that went low in the back. _My wings won't be bothered in this._ I put the shirt on carefully; I struggled a bit because of my wings though. The shirt looked pretty nice. It was yellow and at the ends it faded to red. _Cool and reminds me of my wings, but…yellow shirts are not for me. _ I took off the shirt and stood there in my underwear.

"Make sure you come out in the new clothes! I want to see them on you!"  
"Okay," I slightly shouted back to her through the door.

I grabbed a black shirt that was turtleneck. _Cool, but there's a back to it. _I set it down and finally found a shirt that was backless. It was a strapless shirt that was pretty long but the back of it was low. _Perfect._ I cautiously put it on and I loved it. It was a dark gray color. _Now for the bottom half._ I found a cute black pleated skirt and then looked down at my legs. _Oh. My. God. _I didn't know that much hair could exist on legs. Horrified, I put the skirt down and found a pair of jeans. The jeans were gray with black-checkered print. I put them on and smiled contently. _This works. I like this. I can move in the jeans easily. _

I tucked in my wings and put the large jacket back on. _Awesome. _I looked at my old clothes. I couldn't just toss them. I grabbed a slightly large light gray bag that Rosayla had tossed over and put my clothes in it. Then I stepped out.

Rosayla squealed so loudly that I thought my ears were going to pop.

"You look so nice in that!"  
I huffed,  
"Thanks."

Leigh nodded in approval and he sighed in relief when Pyro finally left his shoulder and settled on mine.

**000000**

It was Friday so I was going to visit Auntie- _I really need to learn her real name. Maybe I can weasel it out of Nathaniel. She couldn't have possibly put Auntie as her name on the paperwork…..Though I do remember him mentioning that she filled everything out in pink sparkly pen so I don't know the lengths of how far that woman will go._

I reached into my jacket pocket and pulled out the address that was written on the paper. Then I looked at the surprisingly normal-looking house in front of me.

"Looks like this is it," I muttered as I knocked on the door.

In only ten minutes, Auntie had opened the door, hugged me so tightly that I thought my insides were about to become my outsides, and agreed to let me take a shower if I stayed fro diner. She was thrilled that I had Pyro as a 'little birdie friend.' Pyro loved her because it turned out that Auntie had a pet bird as well. I shouldn't have been surprised that her pet bird was a bright pink color with slightly blue wings. Either way, Auntie had bird treats and I was almost sure that Pyro was almost convinced to stay with Auntie. I got a light-bulb.  
"Hey, could Pyro stay with you while I'm at school? Then she wouldn't be lonely."  
Auntie cheered,  
"Oh that's such a wonderful idea! I'll be delighted to have her here!"

I smiled faintly,  
"Cool…So…where's the shower?"  
"Last door to the left, dearie!"  
I nodded and headed to the restroom. As I took off my clothes, I was a bit concerned._ I hope my wings will do okay._ I looked to the shower and I was thankful that it was _huge_ and it was a curtain- not a door. I took off the curtain carefully and then started to shower. _You don't know the struggle of shaving until you haven't done it for a very very very long time. _

When I got out, my wings were hardly wet since I had my back out so my wings weren't in the shower. _You know what? I think I can stay here a long time._

**Third Person:**

At the end of the day, Leigh finally got around to cleaning the changing room that was filled with clothes- all clothes which Rosayla had put in there for Phoebe/Fia to try on. He sighed as he picked up a yellow strapless shirt and raised an eyebrow as a feather fell from it.

Curious, he picked it up. _What type of bird is this from? _It didn't look like any feather that he has seen before and it didn't look the feather from that bird that was inside earlier. It was _beautiful_ to say the least with red fading to yellow to blue with a blue stem. _And surprisingly soft too._ An idea for a dress came into Leigh's mind and he dropped the shirt. Taking the feather with him, he rushed to his study to get to work on a _Phoenix _dress.


	5. Caged Birds Don't Sing

**Author Note: The songs she sang- ****_My Skin by Natalie Merchant _****and ****_For Those Who Wait by Fireflight._**

**~CWA**

**(P.S. Please review!"**

**Chapter 4- Caged Birds Don't Sing:**

**Fia:**

Words couldn't express how happy I was. I had flew the entire weekend- so did Pyro which was why I was sure that at Auntie's house, she was sleeping. Still, I felt a lot happier since my wings weren't nearly as sore. I had flown a good distance away from the city so I was pretty sure that no one saw me. I woke up and realized that I missed the sunrise- again- but it wasn't as high as it normally was when I woke up. That meant that I woke up early. As a result, I didn't hurry down from the tree. Instead, I just laid down on the tree branch. I started to hum a bit._ Let's see…what was that song I heard before…It was playing in Leigh's store before…_

_"Take a look at my body  
Look at my hands  
There's so much here that I don't understand…"_

I looked at my hand as flames flickered at my fingertips._  
"Your face say these promises  
Whispered like prayers  
I don't need them…"_

I only had heard the song once- but I remembered it. I supposed that Phoenixes did have a natural gift for song and music- part of being a bird I guessed. I felt I could relate to the song though…

_"Because I've been treated so wrong  
I've been treated so long  
As if I'm becoming untouchable…  
Well content loves the silence  
It thrives in the dark  
With fine winding tendrils  
That strangle the heart  
They say that promises sweeten the blow  
But I don't need them, no  
I don't need them…"_

I closed my eyes and the flames disappeared from my hands._  
"I've been treated so wrong  
I've been treated so long  
As if I'm becoming untouchable  
I'm the slow dying flower  
In the frost killing hour  
Sweet turning sour and untouchable….  
Oh, I need the darkness  
The sweetness  
The sadness  
The weakness  
Oh, I need this…."_

I loved to sing out here. I felt free when I was outside. _  
"I need a lullaby  
A kiss good night  
Angel sweet love of my life  
Oh, I need this  
I'm the slow dying flower  
In the frost killing hour  
Sweet turning sour and untouchable…  
Do you remember the way that you touched me before  
All the trembling sweetness I loved and adored  
Your face saying promised whispered like prayers  
I don't need them…"_

Pyro rubbed her head against my neck comfortably as I sang._  
"Oh, I need the darkness  
The sweetness  
The sadness  
The weakness  
Oh, I need this  
I need a lullaby  
A kiss good night  
Angel sweet love of my life  
Oh, I need this…  
Well is it dark enough  
Can you see me  
Do you want me  
Can you reach me  
Oh, I'm leaving  
You better shut your mouth  
And hold your breath  
And kiss me now  
And catch your death  
Oh, I mean this  
Oh, I mean this…."_

"You have a nice voice!"

Startled by someone talking, I almost fell out of the branch. I looked down to see Alexy- he wasn't that close of a friend but I did know the guy. Him and Armin gave a thumbs up.  
"Totally awesome!"

I grumbled as I got down from the tree.  
"So what were you doing in that tree anyway?"  
"Relaxing," I shrugged and then quickly walked away so I wouldn't have to deal with them.

**0000000**

I was smiling as I ran into Castiel. He raised an eyebrow,

"Looks like Birdie's in a good mood."  
"Birdie?"  
"You have a pet bird," he rolled his eyes.  
"You have a pet dog," I pointed out, "that means you are now _Doggie."_

_"_Doggie?"  
"Woof woof," I smirked. He looked at me amused.

**Third Person:**

Fia couldn't help but laugh at Rosayla,  
"Wait, you're serious? The school is seriously doing a concert?"  
"Yep," she shrugged, "They wanted to do an race thing, but in the end they canceled that and wanted to do a stupid play."  
"…You said concert, not play," Fia pointed out.

"_Wifey,"_ Rosayla whined, "let me finish! So the class made a deal with the principal- if we can get a concert going, without funds from the school- though they will earn money cause you have to buy tickets- then we don't have to the stupid play."  
"…So what do you need my help on?"  
"Costumes," Rosayla cheered, "or do you wanna do posters?"  
"Posters," Fia said quickly, _because Rosayla with costumes kind of scares me._

**0000**

"Wait," Rosayla asked confused, "Why do you need another singer?"

Lysander sighed,  
"A concert usually performs more than one song. While it's not necessary to have another singer- it is helpful as it would give me a break as well. So that he or she can do a sing themselves."

Alexy burst through the basement doors,  
"We have the poster!"  
"But who can sing," Castiel said as he ignored Alexy, "no one at this school- that's for sure."

"Exactly," Lysander sighed.  
"Ohh," Alexy said, "I know who can sing!"  
They turned to him.  
"Who?"  
"Phoebe," he smiled, "or…does she prefer Fia? Anyway, Armin and I heard her singing this morning in the park and she's good."

"How good," Rosayla asked, "like is she…good? Awesome? Epic?"  
"Just as good as Lysander," Alexy said confidently.  
"Wow," Rosayla giggled, "That is pretty good. I think we should give her a chance."  
"Perhaps," Lysander said, "But it would require some preparations. Rosayla, if you can get Fia to agree and choose a song for her then get back to us?"  
"You got it, Lys-baby."

**0000**

"No," Fia said quickly, "I can't do it."  
"But why not," Rosayla pouted, "Are you worried you're not that good?"  
"Well yeah," Fia admitted, _but it's also because I feel so trapped inside buildings and the basement is like a really small cage. Caged birds __do not__ sing. _

"Oh I'm sure you're good! Just sing a few lyrics for me and I'll tell you exactly what I think."

_Considering that she's really honest- I trust her to tell me the truth._

"_"I've been treated so wrong  
I've been treated so long  
As if I'm becoming untouchable  
I'm the slow dying flower  
In the frost killing hour  
Sweet turning sour and untouchable…."_

Rosayla cheered,  
"Oh wifey! You really are good! Please will you do it? For me, Lys-baby…and you can show off to Castiel," Rosayla said slyly. Fia sighed,  
"Fine, I'll do it!"  
"Yay! I know just the song too," Rosayla went to a computer- luckily they were in a computer lab- and started to look up something. In a few minutes, she grabbed some papers off the printer.  
"Just memorize the lyrics and everything and you'll do great!"

**0000**

Fia tugged at the bottom of the dress that Rosayla gave her. She couldn't help but feel that the dress was made for her. According to Rosayla, Leigh made the dress after finding an odd feather in the changing room and it inspired him. It was a one of a kind dress that fit her like a glove. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline. It was red but as it went down it faded to yellow. Though, it didn't even go mid-thigh. There was a blue sequined belt around her waist. Rosayla was against Fia wearing her large jacket with the dress but honestly Rosayla couldn't stop her.

Lysander just got off the stage and Fia walked up- thankfully Castiel, Nathaniel, and Iris knew the song. _I hope I don't screw this up,_ Fia thought desperately.

_"This is for those who wait!  
Another day another waiting game  
A little different but it's still the same  
I am here but where's the one I'm longing for?"_

Castiel's eyes didn't stray from his guitar, but he knew that his eyes had widened a bit. Fia had a wonderful voice- _like a bird.  
"I'm having troubles feeling all alone  
Will my heart ever find a home?  
I want to hope but sometimes I just don't know  
I know I'm not the only one!"_

The crowd cheered louder._  
"So we sing a lullaby  
To the lonely hearts tonight  
Let it set your heart on fire  
Let it set you free!  
When you're fighting to believe  
In a love that you can't see  
Just know there is a purpose  
For those who wait!_

_I want to open up my eyes  
I know that all I need is time  
I'm growing stronger every single day  
God, I'm gonna leave them to You now  
Letting go all of my fear and doubt  
I can't do this on my own, so I'll give You control  
I know I'm not the only one!  
So you sing a lullaby  
To the lonely hearts tonight  
Let it set your heart on fire  
Let it set you free  
When you're fighting to believe  
In a love that you can't see  
Just know there is a purpose  
For those who wait!"_

The song slowed down a bit. Fia sang a bit softer,_  
"The pressure makes us stronger  
The struggle makes us hunger  
The hard lessons make the difference…  
The pressure makes us stronger  
The struggle makes us hunger  
The hard lessons make the difference  
And the difference makes it worth it…."_

_Fia sang louder, but the song didn't pick up yet,  
"So we sing a lullaby  
To the lonely hearts tonight  
Let it set your heart on fire  
Let it set you free."_

_The song picked up again.  
"When you're fighting to believe  
In a love that you can't see  
Just know there is a purpose  
For those who wait!  
Let it set your heart on fire  
This is for those who wait!"_

The last note was held very long. Soon afterwards, the song ended and the crowd cheered. Fia smirked.

_**0000**_

__After the concert, Castiel smirked. He looked to Fia,  
"Who thought birdie had a nice voice?"

"Who thought Doggie could actually play the guitar."

Castiel huffed.

"Fia," Lysander said as he walked up, "That was wonderful. Castiel and I were wondering if you would even consider joining the band."

Fia shrugged,  
"Eh, why not?"

Rosayla cheered,

"Yay!"


	6. Wet Wings

**Author Note: I made a boo-boo. I skipped Chapter 4 by accident. So I uploaded chapter 4- Caged Birds Don't Sing, please read it :)  
~CWA**

**Chapter 5- Wet Wings:**

**Fia:**

That weekend, Agatha (_I finally managed to weasel out her real name from Nathaniel), _took me to the beach. It didn't matter how much I protested, but it was paid for- I mean she got me a swimsuit and gave me money to use at the beach. She dropped me off and left me to my own devices. Pyro, like usual, was perched on my shoulder. As Agatha drove off, Pyro started to fly around. _All the open air, the sea…it's a bird's dream to fly over the ocean like that._

I pulled the jacket a bit closer to me. I wondered why Agatha would do it- make me go to the beach. I wasn't mad though, I was actually pretty touched and happy. _Like I said- flying over the ocean is a bird's dream…but it's daylight so I will have to do it later._ It was a much needed relaxation trip though- _who isn't relaxed at the beach?_

I looked down at the swimsuit. I never showed so much skin before and I wasn't very comfortable with it. It was a two-piece (because a bikini top is the easiest thing to deal with because of the wings). It was kind of cute- a black bikini. It wasn't anything complex, just a simple black bikini. I was okay with that. I wasn't okay with showing so much skin. I was glad I wore my jacket- not just to hide my wings but because it hid skin. I wore black swim shorts over the bikini bottoms too.

I grabbed the towel and other stuff that Agatha bought me. I never realized just how naïve that lady was. She kept inviting me to her house- I still had to go there almost every Friday. She let me use her shower. She didn't know anything about me. _She's just…naturally good-hearted._ If she met with the people after me, she would be shown no mercy. I scowled at the bitter thought. Agatha honestly was a good person. She bought me anything I might need for the beach too. I hoped that if I had to leave…_when_ I had to leave…that she would be all right.

I shook my head and then heard Pyro squawking. I looked up to see her flying around and having a good time. I laid down the towel and put up the umbrella that Agatha had given me. _Geesh that lady goes all out._ I lay down, thankful that my wings were tucked in and didn't hurt. _Gosh if it hurt to lay down on wings I think I would just about scream when I sleep._

I didn't bother with sunscreen. It wasn't like I was going to move from under the umbrella anyway. I grabbed the _Dr. Pepper _in the beach bag, _gosh dang it I regret trying this because now I am hooked for life._

I didn't lie there long before Pyro finally flew back to me and sat on the beach bag under the umbrella. I looked at her amused,  
"You got too hot, didn't you?"

She squawked and I smiled faintly. I pulled out an extra water bottle from the beach bag (I had put in a bottle of _Dr. Pepper_ and a water bottle but I didn't get any more because Agatha was the one paying for everything no matter how much I said that I couldn't pay her back). I put some water in the cap and held it out. Pyro eagerly drank and squawked- her way of saying thanks. I raised an eyebrow as I heard a lot of barking. Pyro freaked out and flew up into the air.

"DEMON," someone screamed as a large dog jumped on top of me.

I laughed as it licked my face.

"Okay, get off," I laughed.

"Demon," someone was gasping.

I turned to see Castiel looking amused,  
"Huh, looks like he likes you."  
_Which is weird since dogs normally don't like me._ Either way, a dog before never had licked me and Demon was a pretty cool dog. _Wow his fur is really soft. _

"So, what are you doing at the beach," Castiel said as he helped himself to the spot beside me.  
"Elephant hunting," I answered with a roll of my eyes. Castiel chuckled,  
"Touché…Well, if it's any constellation, you look good," he wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed,

"Gee, thanks Red…You too."  
"Why thanks, little bird," Castiel retorted. _Little bird? First Birdie, now this._

"He's a good dog," I commented as I continued to ruffle Demon's fur.  
"Well, he has a good owner," Castiel huffed and I chuckled,

"Does he play fetch?"  
I looked at Castiel with twinkling eyes and he looked at me curiously,  
"Yeah."  
I smiled and grabbed a nearby stick. As soon as I tossed it, Demon did run after it and brought it back. I wasn't sure how long I was playing fetch with him, but I was sure it was for at least five to ten minutes.  
"You look like a kid on Christmas," Castiel chuckled, "Like you never played fetch with a dog before."

"I never had a dog," I said, but I wasn't paying attention to what I was saying- I was too caught up in what I was doing, "…and what do you mean a kid on Christmas?"

_Something tells me Christmas is different when it's done normally and not when you're having painful experiments done. _Castiel just laughed and I looked at him curiously and confused. He stopped laughing,  
"You were serious? Haven't you had a Christmas when you were kid? Hell, even seen the Christmas specials, songs, anything?"  
I bit my lip and I was sure my face was red. _Okay so I shouldn't have said that._  
"Uhh…Never mind."

**0000 **

"Aren't you ever going to get in the water," Castiel asked as he waded into the water. I shook my head,  
"Water isn't really my thing, Red!"

"Why did you come to a beach if you aren't going to swim, idiot! You even wore your jacket!"  
I scowled,  
"I like the jacket," I shouted back, "And I just like tanning!"

_Actually I just like the relaxation. _I closed my eyes and tried to get the relaxation that I planned for. I didn't count on Castiel though. He picked me up from the waist. I screamed,

"Put me down! Put me down!"

_The wings…my wings...they'll be okay in water but I can't float with the wings…and they might get hurt._

_"_Castiel! I CAN'T SWIM!"

He stopped and I found myself just inches from the deep water. He put me down and I was standing in the shallow, ankle deep water. Castiel looked at me,  
"I was just trying to get you to have some fun. If you couldn't swim, you should've told me," he huffed.

I nodded slowly.

**000**

Since I couldn't swim, Castiel and I decided to get ice cream. I haven't had ice cream before- not since before I was taken away. As a result, I was really happy at the idea of getting ice cream. Castiel was staying with Demon. Pyro was flying in the air following me- she was maybe ten or twenty feet in the air though. Castiel had given me the money to pay for the ice creams. I had just gotten them when I turned around and saw a guy staring at me. He was a few yards away. I wasn't sure what was more unsettling- the though that his golden eyes seemed to look right through me, the fact that he was staring and watching me, or the fact that he was wearing a suit at a beach. I shivered and I felt the feathers on my wings ruffle slightly. After what seemed like an eternity, but was really about a minute, the guy finally just walked away. I watched him from the corner of my eye as he walked out of the beach area and got into a black van. _That's freaking creepy. _I then decided to ignore the feeling of being watched- even if the guy was gone- and turned my attention to the ice cream cones that were melting.

By the time I reached Castiel, we had to hurry to finish the cones.

"Heh," Castiel chuckled and I looked at him confused as I continued to lick the cone.

He stopped eating and looked at me. He titled my shin upwards and he licked my cheek. I blushed,  
"Red, what the hell," I whispered- too much in shock to actually form more words.  
"You had ice cream on your cheek," Castiel answered and then acted like nothing happened.

I had just once thought- _If Rosayla heard about this I will never hear the end of it._


	7. Phoenix Feathers

**Chapter 6- Phoenix Feathers:**

**Castiel:**

I wasn't sure why I actually grew a pair and made a move on Birdie. She just looked beautiful and adorable. I shook my head, _hope she doesn't hate me now that I actually did that. _At least Demon liked her- which was odd since he honestly never liked people except for me. He tolerated Lysander, but there was a difference between tolerating people and liking them. He licked Birdie- so he must have liked her a lot.

I sighed as I walked into my house, Birdie was still on my mind- _she's so weird, she didn't know what Christmas is, she wore a jacket to the beach, sometimes I wonder if she's even human from the way she acts sometimes. _I chuckled, _yeah right- she's totally human. She's beautiful. She's stubborn, smart, sarcastic. My type of chick._

I quickly changed into some sweats and decided to go shirtless- like that mattered anyway since I was always home alone. I grabbed a cold beer and sat down at the couch. Demon was moving his jaw a bit weird so I set the beer down and looked closer.  
"What do you have there," I asked the dog in a doggie voice- if Birdie or anyone have heard me talk like that then I would never hear the end of it. I managed to get his jaw open and I took out something. It was a feather,

"How the hell did you get a feather stuck in your mouth? That better not belong to that stupid bird that follows Fia around, she treats that thing like a pet. If you hurt it, she'll rip me a new one."

I looked at the feather- it looked mostly red, but it was hard to tell when it was covered with Demon's slobber. I made a face and tossed the feather away, _I bet it would be pretty if it were dry._

Shrugging off the weird feeling I got from that feather, I settled back on the couch.

**Fia:**

_Still one day left till I have school…What to do, what to do…I could- 1. Visit Auntie…I mean Agatha. 2. I could fly around in the woods area. 3. I could just sit in the tree all day. 4. Maybe I could visit Castiel or Rosayla. Well, I guess I can do that after flying…_

Making up my mind, I jumped down from the tree branch and headed towards the forest/woods that were nearby. Pyro was perched on my shoulder the whole walk. I petted her under the chin.

"You're a good little bird."

She squawked. It was already dark- so I could fly. _Maybe I'll take that flight over the ocean too…that sounds nice. _I smiled and since the beach was closer- I went there first. I looked around and saw the cliff in the distance. _Awesome._ I walked all the way to the top of the cliff, made sure no one was around, and then took off my jacket. Pyro was already flying in the air- waiting.

I stretched out my wings- _aw, so much better. _My wings spread out. After flapping them a few times, I took off. I smiled and laughed as I flew. _This is so awesome. It's so relaxing. _

I flew so high over the ocean that I was sure that even if people looked up they would only see a blur that looked like a hawk. It wasn't until Pyro started to go lower that I did. I flew sideways and dipped my hand in the ocean as I laughed. I did loops. I did turns. It felt so…awesome. There wasn't another feeling like it in the world.

Pyro started to do the loops with me and soon we were lopping around each other.

"Haha," I laughed, "come on!"

I started to fly faster- I haven't flown this freely in such a long time that I was really having fun. I wanted to see how fast I could go and if Pyro could keep up. It took a long while, but I finally stopped flying and landed back on the cliff. I grabbed my jacket and put it back on. The small purse from my shopping spree with Rosayla was still there as well so I grabbed that too. Pyro landed on my shoulder. I started to pant slightly,

"You're a good bird. That was quite a workout wasn't it? Maybe we can stop by Agatha's and see if she's still awake."

I laughed and headed to the forests. I knew there wasn't anyone around so after hiding my purse and my jacket in the tree- I started to climb one of the trees and I took off. Pyro followed me. We both flew very high up and it was awesome. I loved it.

As I flew in the sky, I decided to practice my fire abilities. I flew upside down- well sort of upside down. My wings were below me and I was facing the sky as the flames flickered on my fingertips. I focused and the flames got bigger and I tossed the fireball into the air. Before it could land, I intercepted it and it landed back in my hands. The fire didn't hurt me after all. After making the fire disappear, I started to fly and I focused the fire on my wings. Soon my wings were on fire but it didn't hurt. The fire turned my wings into _Phoenix wings. _I did notice that a few feathers fell off but they sizzled out before they could touch the ground.

**0000 **

When school finally started again on Monday, I was horrified. I was so horrified that horrified didn't even cover what I was feeling. The second I walked into school, everyone was gossiping about the newspaper. Finally, I found Castiel on the rooftop reading the paper and I took it from him. It was then that I became horror-struck. The newspaper had a front-page article about the _Phoenix Of Sweet Amoris- Fact or Faked?_ There was a blurry picture too of a blurred figure in the sky with red-yellow wings that were on fire. _Shit. Shit. Shit._

I numbly handed the paper back to him and he huffed. I ignored him and I took out a cigarette.

"Have a lighter," I asked.  
"Here," he tossed me a lighter and after I lit the cigarette I tried handing it back- but he refused, "honestly, Birdie, it's an extra anyway."

I smoked about three cigarettes before the bell rang. Castiel looked at me shocked,

"Girlie sure can smoke."  
"Girlie isn't in good mood," I grumbled.

**Castiel:**

After school, I headed to the forest with Demon. I was determined to see if I could find this so-called Phoenix. The newspaper offered a five hundred dollar award for conclusive evidence of the Phoenix.

It took a while, but eventually as I was in the forest, I saw something flying in the air. It was too high and it was too dark for me to see what it was. Demon started to act excited.  
"What the hell," I muttered. He was acting like he was about to see a friend.

Soon after it disappeared, I spotted something on the ground.  
"No way," I whispered as I picked up the feather.

It was similar to the feather that Demon had got caught in his mouth. It was a beautiful feather with a blue stem and red feathers that faded to yellow. It was like fire almost and it was amazingly soft.

"Wow," I whispered, "Sure as hell seems like the type of feather that would belong to a Phoenix."

**0000**

I was pissed off. Apparently, the newspaper thought the feather was fake and when they did it an analysis thing on it- showed no results to any known bird. As a result, it wasn't conclusive evidence and they jacked me off the money reward.

I drank my beer and looked at the feather,  
"You know what…it's a pretty damn feather."

I got a small piece of wire and tied it around the top of the feather stem. I put it around my neck. Demon seemed to give me a look. I scoffed,

"It's not girly. It's kick-ass."


	8. Adding Fuel To The Phoenix's Fire

**Chapter 7- Adding Fuel to The Phoenix's Fire:**

**Fia:**

I headed to school the next refreshed and jumpy. I was refreshed because I visited Agatha. I got a shower and she gave me a much-needed meal. I was jumpy because with every second, I was terrified that they would find me since my picture was in the newspaper. No matter how blurry it was, they were sure to at least investigate and get me again.

I shivered at the thought. They were ruthless and mean. I was four when they took me from my flock. See, I remembered everything- even if I was still little at the time. My wings weren't fully developed so I couldn't fly and my firepowers were still nonexistent. My flock, my family, was migrating to the south to get away from the bad men. Mom planned on giving me to someone- I wasn't sure why or who they were just that they worked for something called the Phoenix Project.

I remembered the men shooting at us- they weren't interested in the adults because adults were 'harder to tame.' They just wanted the kids. However, most of the other little birds died. I was the only survivor- and the only kid. They took me, just a small little child that just watched all of her family die, away.

They locked me away from the rest of the world. They did a lot of experiments and fed me once a day with water and crackers. Up until I escaped, a private tutor came in every day and taught me everything I needed to know. Her name was Ms. Tanner. She was actually pretty nice and I always looked forward to seeing her. I remembered that she reminded me of my mom because she had red hair like a Phoenix and golden eyes. Maybe that was why they chose her- they knew I would be more tamed if she remembered me so much of my mom and of Phoenixes. She was the only decent one- I think she was the only one that understood I was still a child. She was the one that helped me escape… They killed her for it.

It was really sad since I knew more about humans than I did my own kind. Everything I knew about Phoenixes was the stuff that I overheard from the scientists or from memories when I was little. I knew that feathers were very precious to us. We didn't give them up that easily. Yeah, the feathers always fell out a lot- but only about .01 percent of those feathers actually kept their beauty when they were out. Phoenix feathers were very precious because when you found someone you loved, your soul mate, the feathers were part of the ritual. You even gave your love one of your feathers to wear around their necks because every feather was unique- like your love for them. I supposed that our wings were like a zebra's stripes- it looked similar but each pair of wings were different from another's.

Most of all, I remembered the torture inflicted upon me from those evil men. I remembered the pricks, the surgeries, the vivisection, the needles, the fire, the water. Everything and anything that was possible for me to get without dying- was done. I was drowned before. I was cut open so many times. My wings were picked- the feathers were pricked off. The wings have been broken.

"You okay," Rosayla asked as she came up.

I wiped a tear from eyes,  
"I'm fine."  
"You sure?"  
"I said I'm fine," I snapped.

Gone was the sorrow- the anger started to bubble inside of me. The anger of all the years of pain inflicted upon me- the anger towards those evil men. All that anger was just stirring inside me today and I had no way to get out. _I just hope that I don't set someone on fire at the right I'm going at. _I could already feel the fire started to spark at my fingertips.

**000**

By second period, I had already punched Amber, snapped at Lysander, and was close to yelling at Rosayla. Rosayla understood my anger- I mean, not exactly understood but she understood I was going through something.

"Hey Fia," Rosayla said, "Wifey!"

I turned to face her,  
"What?"  
"You know you can tell me anything right?"  
"…Yeah," I said softly.

"So if you were being abused at home, you would tell me, right," she asked bluntly.

I looked at her shocked. She scoffed,  
"Don't give me that look. You act like a sad little puppy sometimes. You get that far off look in your face when you're thinking. I saw a few scars on your stomach before and I'm just a worried best friend."  
I was too shocked that she cared that much- and at what she thought- to even register that she called herself my best friend.

"Thanks Rosayla," I finally said, "It means a lot- honestly. And I really am just going through something."

_Yeah something. I think the bad men are coming to get me again. I think that everyone I know is in danger. I plan on running away again soon and the only thing keeping me from going to the fact that I have you, Lys, Agatha… And Castiel. Mostly Castiel was the only thing keeping me here. I liked him- I think. Even if I haven't seen Castiel today._

**000**

I went to Castiel's house after school since he never showed up. Rosayla said that more than likely it was because he was drunk off his ass- it has happened before. Pyro flew into a nearby tree to wait for me.

"There you are. Hell, where you been," I scoffed as I used his lighter to light me one. Castiel stood in the doorway in his sweats. Castiel huffed,  
"I've been avoiding school, what else?"  
I helped myself inside. I looked around and I saw that there was a lot of empty beer cans and bottles. _Hell, it's amazing he hasn't dyed of alcohol poisoning._ I sat down on the couch. He sat next to me with another beer and he handed me one. I opened it but didn't drink it. He breathed and I could smell it on his breath.I coughed,

"Damn it, Red, you've been drinking?"

He laughed,  
"What else would I be doing?"

_Damn it. He's more of an ass when he's drunk off his ass. _I felt a bit uncomfortable as he watched me,  
"Drink up, Fia!"

Feeling a bit of pressure, I hesitantly did drink the alcohol and I coughed a bit. _This stuff is really bitter. How could he drink so much of it? _It wasn't until ten minutes later that I found myself drunk- well, sort of drunk. As drunk as a Phoenix could get. Castiel was even more out-there than I was.

In one hour of driving, I was being kissed on the couch with him lying on top of me in just his boxers. I thankfully wasn't too drunk that I took off my jacket- it was still securely on. He was playing with the hem of my pants. _This is really hurting my wings…_Castiel kissed at my neck and when his head lifted up- I noticed something. I noticed the feather around his neck. I tensed up, _he's… He is wearing my feather. He can't wear my feather. That's personal! DAMN IT!_

"YOU BASTARD," I shouted and shoved him off.

"The hell," he protested.

A part of me really wished that I could ignore the fact that he had the feather on his neck because a part of me really wanted to continue what we were doing- heck, even go farther. _I'm pretty sure it's the drunk me that's suggesting that._ He was wearing the feather though- _Dishonor on you! Dishonor on your cow!… Why did I watch Mulan with Rosayla… _In my head, I was giggling but on the outside- I was still mad as hell.

"What the hell, Birdie," he shouted.

_I see that he's back to normal. _I stumbled a bit as I stood up,  
"You freaking bastard! You fucking idiot! How could you?! THAT FREAKING FEATHER! To hell with you! I fucking hate you!"

I left and didn't look back. I was angry all day and all Castiel managed to do was add fuel to the fire.


	9. Runaway Bird

**Chapter 8- Runaway Bird:**

**Castiel:**

"I fucking blew it," I muttered as I put my head on the table.

"Please refrain from using such language at my house," Leigh asked politely.

After I nearly got laid, I was at Lysander's with a damn hangover. _And man did I have a hangover. It's a miracle I wasn't too drunk that I remembered everything. Fia was drunk off her ass- I think._

"What did you do," Lysander sighed.

"I nearly fucked her," I growled, "and then boom! She gets pissy, yells at me, and then leaves with no damn reason!"

Lysander pinched the bridge of nose and reminded me of Nathaniel. I couldn't picture Lys with blonde hair though- _damn it Castiel, stay focused._ I rubbed my temples, _ah but this hangover is killing me thank god it's Friday. I don't have any school. Might take the whole weekend to get over my damn hangover though._

_"_Castiel, perhaps she did it _because_ you were moving quickly."  
"No way man," I hugged, "She gave me signals, hints, and she was ready to go. Then she got all mad as soon as she saw my necklace and got pissed. Then she left."

"Castiel, I do hope that she wasn't going to be another one of your flings," Leigh intervened as he handed me some water with the pill. I put it in the drink,

"I don't know, she's…she's different. She's beautiful. She's smart. She made me even forget about Deborah. She is better than Deborah."

Leigh raised an eyebrow,

"You're actually serious about her?"  
"….Yes."  
"Wait," Lys said, "what necklace?"

"Oh, this," I took out the feather from under my shirt, "It was a feather I found in the woods."  
"Interesting," Leigh said, "seems to be almost the same feather I found in my changing rooms."

Lysander shook his head,  
"Leigh, please be reasonable."  
"It's remarkably similar," Leigh said.

"Doesn't explain why Fia got all pissy," I pointed out and then took a drink, "damn this hangover…"

"You actually called her by her name," Lysander said amused. I huffed,

"Shut up….I think I better apologize to her though."

"Really," Lysander said with a smile, "First you call her by her name and now you wish to apologize."  
"You have it bad," Leigh commented.  
"Have what," I growled.

Leigh just laughed.

"Damn it, you guys have spent too much time with Rosayla!"

**Fia:**

I was still upset. I woke up and I was in Agatha's house. I jolted and was relived that I still had my jacket on. I was still in my clothes too. There was a pair of pajamas and a bathrobe folded neatly on a nearby on a desk. Agatha came in with a smile. She put a glass of water and some medicine on the desk.  
"You poor thing, you just came in here in hysterics! I had to help you out, dearie. I figured you were hung over so I brought you this."  
My face reddened. She laughed and winked,  
"Don't worry sweetie, I remember those days too! Honestly, I am pretty sure you could hold your liquor better than me! I would have been pregnant by the next morning with that much liquor!"

I reddened even more. Agatha laughed and then turned serious,

"You have to be careful though. You came in here in hysterics, you were so angry and sad at the same time. It was a bit… Overwhelming. One second you were crying your eyes out muttering about leaving and the next you were so angry you punched a hole in the wall."  
I looked at her shocked,  
"I… I'm sorry- I didn't mean-"

She waved it off,

"Oh, it's fine, the wall's already been fixed."  
"Already?"  
"You've been asleep for about three days," Agatha laughed.

I gulped, _least that explains why I really gotta pee._

**000**

The next day I didn't return to school. I was planning on running- it was the only logical thing to do. I had no more ties to Sweet Amoris and they would be better off without me. Pyro sat on my shoulder. I turned to her,  
"We really should leave."

She chirped and I sighed,  
"Yeah…we'll leave tonight so no one will see us. It's not like people will search for us anyway."

**Third Person: **

Lysander couldn't help but give sly looks to Castiel. It was the first time he's seen Castiel serious about a girl. For once, Castiel was actually torn up about messing up things with Phoebe.

Rosayla had even noticed that Castiel had been acting strange.

"Just a matter of time," she whispered to Lysander, "until those two get together," she giggled.

Castiel, thankfully, didn't hear her.

"Where's Birdie," he asked Rosayla. Rosayla shrugged,  
"Don't know. She didn't come to school yesterday either."

Castiel sighed,  
"Dang when she's going to actually show up."

Lysander glared slightly,  
"Perhaps you scared her off."  
"Then I really screwed up," he banged his head on the table.

**Castiel: **

I really screwed up. In my desire to get laid, I got screwed big time. Fia would probably never talk to me again. I really like her. I wanted to…It was more than just hormones that wanted her that's for sure. I hoped that she got back. I needed to talk to her- tell her I was sorry. Even though I was convinced that she was mad about something else.  
"What exactly did she say," Rosayla tried to weasel the details out of me, "what did she say, exactly?"  
"She said," I puffed out my chest and tried to make my voice as high as Fia's, "_'you bastard, you freaking bastard! You fucking idiot! How could you?! THAT FREAKING FEATHER! To hell with you! I fucking hate you!'"_

Rosayla whistled,  
"Wow, she's vulgar."  
"When she was drunk, yeah."  
"You gave her drinks," Rosayla screeched, "then you are an idiot! Fia has never drank in her life!"  
"And how would you know," I scoffed. She looked at me blankly,  
"She hardly even drink soda and you except her to be a frequent drinker?"

I deflated- _damn she has a point._ It was after school so we were in the park- Lysander had gone off after saying he saw something. I hated that he left me with Rosayla at night. She was bad enough during the day. She was still a kind-of friend though.

I was relived when Lysander came back, though he was running and looked out of breath.  
"Lys-baby what happened," Rosayla asked.  
"Phoebe," he panted out, "she was heading towards the cliffs."

At the thought that she might jump, I ran to the cliffs before another word was spoken. I ran like I had wings- hell, I ran like I could teleport there._ Damn it Phoebe. _I ran and scampered. The only thing going through my head was Phoebe.

Sure enough, when I reached the cliffs I saw Phoebe. She was about to take off her jacket and jump. I tackled her,

"Phoebe!"

"Castiel? The hell?"


	10. The Bird In The Backyard

**Author Note: Yeah, sorry about all the cursing last chapter and I think even the chapter before that too. I dropped the f-bomb a bit too many times and sorry about that.**

**~CWA**

**Chapter 9- The Bird In The Backyard:**

**Fia:**

I was still mad at Castiel. Even after he supposedly 'saved' me. After that incident, Rosayla wouldn't leave me alone and Castiel wouldn't stop apologizing. Lysander was concerned. Eventually I was able to convince them that I was okay and I wasn't trying to kill myself. I convinced them that I was just about to sit on the edge and admire the view. _And damn it I still haven't seen a damn sunrise or sunset! _Either way, I was just happy that Castiel didn't find out that what he felt on my back was wings- I knew he could feel them. He freaking tackled me- how could he not feel the wings? He hasn't asked yet so I was I crossing my fingers that he kept his mouth shut. _  
_Castiel was…I couldn't get what happened out of my mind. _What almost happened… _I may have been drunk but I would never forget his touch or his lips…_hot damn and that's coming from me._ If you get a Phoenix to say _hot damn you're hot_, then you're hot.

Rosayla was very strict on me. The second she saw me heading to school, she dragged me there so she knew for sure that I wouldn't try to skip again. She made it very difficult for me to try and runaway again. I needed to get out Sweet Amoris and she wasn't making it easy. I ran a hand through my hair, _she's just acting like a concerned best friend, so I can't blame her for that. _

I lazily started to throw small fireballs into the air and catch them. Pyro watched me interested, but a bit bored. It was finally the weekend- again. I could try and run off again but…Castiel… I don't think I could leave him so defenseless, at least not yet anyway. _But so bored… _I spotted a helpless victim. I smirked and grabbed an acorn from the tree, aimed, and fired. Just as it went sailing through the air, I hid behind some branches.

"The heck," the victim muttered but obviously dismissed it as just a falling acorn.

So I got into position, grabbed some ammo, aimed, and…. _RAPID FIRE! _I threw the acorns quickly. The victim screamed. It was only then that I noticed that the victim was Alexy.  
"CRAZY RABID SQUIRREL ARMY!"

Alexy ran off screaming. I clutched my sides because I was laughing too hard. I was laughing so much that I fell off the tree.

"I take it you did that."

I turned to see Rosayla. She giggled. I couldn't answer her though because I was still laughing,  
"….Rabid….squirrel…army! Man, that's… Too much…"

It took another minute for me to catch my breath.

"Okay…I'm good, I'm good."

I was still smiling though. Rosayla giggled,  
"Why are in a tree? It's almost…eleven at night," she looked at her watch, "Correction, it _is _eleven at night."

I shifted my weight as she then looked at me worridly,

"Where's your house? I'll take you there. I gotta take you home, but then again you're Fia, you don't accept help," she babbled, "But it's dangerous to go alone, take this."  
She gave me something.  
"A tazer," I muttered as she continued talking.

"Wait, no! I have to take you home so fess up! Where's your house?"  
I could lie. I could tell her Auntie's house but then again would I risk her meeting Auntie? _Wait since when did I start calling her Auntie again. _Besides, Agatha wasn't even home. She had told me the other day to not stop by because she was going on a business trip. She would've locked her door so I wouldn't be able to get in and I _knew_ that Rosayla would want to go inside. I had no other option but the truth.

"….This is my home."  
"What?"  
I shifted my feet,

"This," I gestured to the tree, "I…I don't exactly have a home."

She surprised me by giving me a large, tight, deadly hug.

"That is unacceptable, bestie! You will come with me right this second and you will be staying with me whether you like it or not!"  
I looked at her horrified, _what did I just do…now there's no way for me to escape!  
_**000**

"Well," Rosayla said with a wink, "Turns out Leigh that we had a little birdie in our backyard the whole time!"  
Leigh raised an eyebrow and I shrugged- no one could explain Rosayla. She huffed,  
"Umph. Leigh help me get her some clothes. She's homeless and has been sleeping in the trees! That is unacceptable! She doesn't even have anything besides what we got her last time and what she originally wore!"  
Leigh looked horrified at the thought that I didn't have that many clothes. Finally, he gathered his wits,

"And I trust she'll be staying with you," he asked Rosayla.

"Don't you know it! Let's get to work!"

Two hours. It took two flipping hours of me trying on everything that they handed me. I refused anything with backs or anything without the jacket on. Leigh wanted to switch my current jacket with a short cropped leather jacket but I managed to convince him that it was sentimental. In the end, I had about six shopping bags that had six different outfits in them. I had: a short black mini skirt, a cute red long-sleeved shirt that had a _huge_ dip in the back, a golden skirt that went with the golden top that reminded me a lot of a bra (Rosayla insisted on having a clubbing outfit), a dark blue shirt that was backless and had no sleeves and stopped just below my naval, a cute red dress that had a dip in the back that ended just below my butt, a red and black pleated skirt with chains, black skinny jeans with a red checkered pattern, and finally a red shirt that ended just below my breasts and had a very thin strap in the back so it wouldn't bug my wings. Of course I still had that Phoenix dress that Leigh had made.

Rosayla then had dragged me to her house.

"What about your parents," I protested.

"I don't have a mom and Dad doesn't care. His boyfriend would like you though."  
_Her dad is…oh, okay. No problem with that. _Pyro squawked and I jumped. _I forgot she was there._

**000**

Rosayla's house was pretty cool. It wasn't huge or over the top like I thought it would be. It was a simple, normal house. There was two bedrooms and Rosayla insisted on me sharing the bedroom with her. Her dad was okay- pretty laidback. He looked like Rosayla with the golden eyes but his hair was dark brown. He was…different. He wore leather jackets and looked very tough. The boyfriend was cool- energetic and hyper. He had blue eyes and light brown hair. However, Rosayla's dad was a fashion guy to the core. The boyfriend, a guy named Jim, also loved Pyro.

In the end, I did end up staying with Rosayla simply because it was much easier than protesting. I refused to acknowledge that it was because I thought of Rosayla as a sister or a best friend.


	11. A Little Birdie Told Me

**Chapter 10- A Little Birdie Told Me:**

**Fia: **

I looked over to Agatha. She had finally returned from her trip but she was acting really weird. Usually she was really hyper and cheery. Today, she seemed jumpy and serious.

"Are you okay," I finally asked.  
"Peachy," she said with a plastered on smile, "I'm glad you made friends. So you're staying at… Rosie's house?"  
"Rosayla," I corrected, "And yeah. I took my shower there. She's really nice and gave me some clothes."

Agatha nodded but didn't seem to really be paying attention. I sighed and turned my attention to her bird. Pyro was 'chatting' with Agatha's bird. I whistled and Pyro looked up. She flew and landed on my shoulder.

"I better get going. Thanks though."

She jolted,  
"Wait, be careful, okay? You never know who's lurking in the dark."  
Her eyes turned serious and dark. I looked at her shocked,

"What?"  
"Nothing," she laughed- changing demeanor, "just be careful!"  
I nodded slowly,

"Okay."

**000**

School wasn't that much better. If anything, I was sure it was weirder than my visit with Agatha the other day. I had went to visit her to tell her that I was staying at Rosayla's- I refused to say that it wasn't against my will. It was actually pretty nice to have Rosayla fawn over me and take me in. I mean, Agatha did ask for me to stay but she was doing it out of pity. Rosayla was doing it because I was her best friend. There was a difference. Pyro had stayed at Agatha's while I went to school- though I was trying to ditch. I just didn't have a chance to ditch. Every single time I tried I ended up running into Rosayla (who would drag me to class herself), Castiel (who wanted a smoke), Lysander (who would drag me to Rosayla who would drag me to class), or Nathaniel (who would give me detention for trying to ditch).

Castiel had to be the one person that seemed the weirdest. He kept blushing- sorry he kept _reddening. _Because as he said before, men didn't _blush,_ they _redden._ Either way, he was acting like a little boy with a crush. _Huh maybe he does have a crush. I wonder who on._

But that wasn't the weirdest part. The weirdest part was that I kept having the feeling that I was being watched. I could have sworn that I saw someone standing outside the school that looked like the guy from the beach- but it wouldn't have been the guy from the beach. Maybe I was getting paranoid- yeah that had to be it.

I shook my head. _First thing's first. Rosayla wanted me to apologize to Alexy for the acorn incident. _

**Castiel:  
**I had to do it. I had to ask her out. I made several moves on her- it was just a matter of time. Yet something in me told me it wasn't just a crush. Phoebe was something different. There was something different about her. I refused to even acknowledge the fact that I might love her. Love was out of the question. It had to be. But gosh dang it I needed to ask her out first.

"Lys," I asked, "how the heck am I supposed to ask her out?"  
"The great Castiel is asking me how to ask someone out," he said amused, "She doesn't seem the type to like romantic gestures, the direct approach is probably best."  
"Maybe….I'm just nervous."  
"You're nervous? You must be serious about Phoebe then."  
I got a bit flustered,  
"Yeah…I am. I don't want to screw it up."  
"Then you should ask her before someone else does," Lys gestured down the hall.

A bit confused, I turned to see Birdie down the hall. She was talking with Alexy and seemed a bit flustered. Alexy seemed embarrassed as well. Armin was laughing. I felt my face grow hot and in a spur of the moment, I called out to her,  
"Hey Birdie!"  
She scowled and looked down the hall towards me.

"What do you want, Red," she shouted, "I'm talking here!"  
"Want to go out Friday?!"  
She looked confused and I couldn't tell if she was happy or not because she a bit far.

"Sure, I guess. You have a way with words, Romeo!"

She laughed and turned her attention back to Alexy and Armin. I looked at Lysander,  
"You're right. The direct approach is better….Do you know where she lives?"  
"As far as I know, she is staying with Rosayla."

"Why," I asked confused. Lysander shrugged,  
"According to Leigh, Phoebe has been living in the park in one of the trees."

I looked at him shocked and then chuckled,

"Figures Birdie would live in a tree."

**Fia:**

Rosayla was beyond thrilled that Castiel had asked me out. I was terrified because I was worried. I mean, why the hell did I say yes? A spur of the moment? Because I really liked Castiel…_Yeah let's combine spur of the moment, not thinking and a small crush on Red and you'll get me and Red on a date apparently._

Still, I could do without all the fuss of Rosayla who wanted to make me look 'perfect.' Castiel told me he was taking me to a drive in theater to see a horror movie. I figured that he would be borrowing Leigh's truck for it. Rosayla wanted to put me in a dress but I drew the line.

In the end, I ended up in the golden skirt that went mid-thigh and the golden shirt that resembled a bra. It had all these golden sparkly stuff hanging down from it. Rosayla wasn't so thrilled that I was wearing my overly large jacket though. I kind of had to because of my wings but I couldn't tell her that. She put some black eyeliner and yellow eye shadow on me. She had straightened my already sort-of straight hair and styled it. I had to admit it though- I looked hot.

I met Castiel at the park because I didn't want Rosayla's dads to jump him. I had enough of their fussing already. Castiel looked hotter than usual. His jaw dropped and I smirked,

"What? Too much for ya, hotshot?"  
He huffed and crossed his arms,  
"You look beautiful like that."  
I raised an eyebrow, I did expect a compliment but not to beautiful. I shrugged,  
"Thanks, Red, you don't look to bad yourself."

He smiled faintly. We started to walk through the park on the way to the parking lot.

"So, which tree was your home?"

I looked at him and glared,  
"How did you know about that?"  
"A little birdie told me."

I briefly looked to Pyro- who I knew was flying above and keeping an eye on me. I shook my head, _nah, she didn't tell._

"Dang birds need to keep their beaks out of my business," I grumbled and Castiel laughed.

I didn't know why I was so embarrassed about him knowing about that though.

**000**

_Okay scary movies are scary. _I jumped slightly and Castiel looked at me amused. Like I had thought, he had borrowed Leigh's truck. We were in the bed of the truck with several blankets and pillows. Castiel had got two beers for us. I buried my head into his shoulder. He smirked,  
"I would've thought you loved horror movies."  
"I do," I squeaked but then buried my head back into his shoulder.

I only freed Castiel from my grasp when I noticed the sunset. I sat up and watched it directly,

"Wow…that's beautiful."  
"You've never seen a sunset?"  
"Or a sunrise," I shrugged, "I always wanted to see one though."  
I cuddled into Castiel carefully and watched the sunset for a while before turning my attention back to the horror movie. It was a good date though. Castiel looked at me,  
"Hey, Phoebe?"  
"Fia," I corrected.  
"Fia," Castiel rolled his eyes, "You really do look beautiful tonight."

I smirked,  
"Didn't take you to be romantic."  
"I'm not," he huffed and it was at that moment that he clashed his lips against mine.

_My first date. My first kiss. He's taken my first everything- well almost everything. But honestly, I wouldn't want it to be anyone else._


	12. Bird Of Prey

**Chapter 11- Bird Of Prey :**

**Fia:**

Rosayla had dragged me to school. I suffered through it but as soon as it was over, I didn't go to Rosayla's. I got Pyro from Agatha and I headed straight to the cliffs. I wasn't sure how long I stayed there with my feet dangling off the edge. I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling. I knew something was wrong or at least something bad was going to happen. I wanted nothing more than to leave- maybe if I left whatever bad feeling I had would leave too.

But I couldn't just leave. I had Castiel to think about. _I can't just leave. _But maybe if I left it would be easier- maybe if I left then Castiel would be better off. Even if it did break my heart. I was debating whether or not to go- which was why I ended up sitting there for a couple of hours. Pyro was flying around in the sky above the beach though because she got bored. I put my elbows on my knees and rested my head in my hands.  
"Birdie?"

I turned to see Castiel. I bit my lip.

"Hey Red."

"You okay," he asked.

It kind of broke my heart seeing the concern in his eyes when I knew I would be leaving soon- most likely without a goodbye.

"Fine," I finally said, "Just…admiring the view."

That wasn't a lie. I was admiring the view- at least it looked like I was. I was too caught up in my thoughts to actually admire it fully. Castiel sat down next to me. A part of me liked that he was so concerned and that he was staying with me. Another part of me wanted him to leave, or fight with him so he'll be angry with me, so I could fly away with a clear mind.

As I stared off into the sky, Castiel had put his arm around me. I looked at him a bit shocked and he kissed me,  
"Phoebe, you know if something's bothering you, you can tell me, right?"

I gulped, but nodded. I couldn't tell him what was bugging me though. _Oh yeah, Castiel, by the way I'm a Phoenix so I have these wings and powers. See, I escaped this bad organization and I'm worried that they found me so I think I'm going to run away again, is that okay? _I shivered slightly. I still had that feeling that someone was watching us._  
_Castiel moved me a bit closer,  
"Fia…can I tell you something," he whispered.

I nodded and his face became grim,  
"…Someone's in the forest," he whispered, "They've been watching you, I think. On the count of three, we make a run for it. I don't want you getting hurt."

I was a bit shocked. _So someone was watching me….and he actually cares about me…_I could've flied off but I couldn't leave Castiel to the bad men.

"One…Two…Three!"

We ran like the wind to the right- in the opposite direction of the person. I could hear the twigs breaking behind us- someone was running after us.  
"GET HER," a man shouted, "KEEP HER ALIVE!"

Fear settled in my stomach. Castiel's face was grim,  
"Who the hell did you piss off," he shouted as we ran.

"I don't know!"  
Well, I didn't know. I didn't know what the organization was called or even who was in it. I glanced behind me slightly and wasn't surprised when the guy I had seen at the beach was the one chasing us. I knew he was a bad guy.

"Stop," he yelled.

"Like hell!"  
We ran and ran. Pyro flew in with a pack of birds, _ah the cavalry has arrived. _Pyro and the birds peaked and attacked every single guy that was chasing us.

"Hell of a bird," Castiel muttered.

"Don't question it, just run!"

I don't know how, but we managed to make it to his motorcycle. He gave me the helmet (I was too much in a hurry to protest) and then took off. I had my arms around him tightly.

"Where are you going," I shouted.  
"Hell if I know!"  
"Just keep driving!"  
"I planned on it!"  
It was then that I gasped. Two black vans were following us- going over the speed limit obviously. One of them managed to get beside us. The doors opened and men grabbed for me.  
"Phoebe," Castiel yelled and he swerved away from them.

I held on tighter to Castiel. If something happened to me, I hoped that he would be okay. I heard a loud bang and winced- expecting to be hit. I wasn't. I opened my eyes and my jaw dropped.  
"Agatha," I whispered.

She was…she was okay. She wasn't hurt. Actually she was the one that was shooting at them. I never saw her so serious. She was still in that silly little car of hers trying to shot out the window at the bad men.  
"Don't give me that look," she shouted, "it'll just knock them out! Head to my house!"

I was a bit torn- I thought Agatha was innocent but here she was shooting at the bed men like it was nothing. She was a good shot too. Should I listen to her though? What if it's a trap? I figured I had no other plans so I gulped,  
"Castiel, turn here," I said instructing him to Agatha's house.

**000**

When we finally got the house, we weren't being followed anymore. I figured I had Agatha to thank- unless she was a double crosser or something. I quickly opened the door since it was unlocked and Castiel and I got inside.

"Phoebe, what the hell," he asked.

Though I could tell he was just really worried- and angry. He still held me tight,  
"What the hell is going on…I don't want to see you hurt."

"Bad men," I answered, "They're just bad men. That woman…her name's Agatha. She was the one that first helped me when I came to Amoris."  
"She shot at them," he gritted out.  
"I…I…"

I didn't know what to say so I settled for just collapsing on the couch.  
"Are we safe here? What if she works with whoever those guys were?"  
"Honestly Castiel, we don't have any other plan," I snapped, "Our best bet is to sit here. If it is a trap or something we'll get out."

"But why were they after you in the first place," Castiel shouted, "Just what are you doing that there are men chasing you like some sort of animal?!"  
"That's because they don't think of me as a person," I shouted back, "They do just view me as an animal! No, they view me as freaking dirt!"  
After realizing what I said, I stopped. I rubbed my temples. Castiel didn't look that pleased.

"You knew them then," Castiel accused.  
"I don't think I'd go that far," I whispered, "They…they are very bad men," I gulped.

Castiel looked at me with concern and he held me close,

"Phoebe, tell me who they are. Now."  
"The men that kidnapped me when I was four," I answered honestly as I could without revealing that I was a Phoenix, "They kidnapped me, they abused me, raped me, vivisected me," I shivered, "I…I escaped not that long ago…that's why I was living in the park…Agatha was the one that signed me up for school out of pity…I…I didn't know she could do all that…I…My real name is just Fia," I added that last part a bit sheepishly, "Agatha signed me up as Phoebe."

Unfortunately, the story was true about what the men did. I still remembered all the torture inflicted upon me. I remembered when two of them gone rogue and actually raped me. I shivered in fear…_I don't want to go back. I can't go back. _Castiel held me close and kissed my forehead. The look he gave me was one of concern, love, and horror. _Love…?_ He then gritted his teeth, his eyes turned dark, and he looked mad as hell,  
"They will pay for what they did," he swore.

For once, I felt really, truly, loved. He actually cared. He didn't run when he knew that he was most likely in danger too. I smiled faintly, _well you know what they say. A flock that flies together stays together. But he doesn't know the full truth,_ I thought bitterly and a sinking sensation pulled my heart down. I was a bit glad when the doors burst open and Agatha stood there. She smiled,

"I guess I should explain everything to you then."


	13. Project Phoenix

**Chapter 12- Project Phoenix:**

**Castiel:**

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to think. Phoebe had been through some tough shit. I planned on making sure that she didn't go through anymore. I didn't care if the men might hurt me- as long as nothing happened to Phoebe…._No, Fia not Phoebe. Her name is Fia._ I liked Fia better anyway. Phoebe was too girly.

When that Agatha woman burst through the doors, my grip tightened on Fia protectively. I didn't want her to get hurt. Heck, I even hated it when she was angry at me.

"I guess I should explain everything to you then," Agatha said with a smile and then she whistled. Fia's bird, Pyro, flew in. Then she locked the door.

Fia had weaseled her way from my grasp slightly to get more comfortable. Agatha looked at me,

"Oh, I didn't know you got a man…Interesting necklace."

Fia blushed slightly and Agatha looked amused. I couldn't help but feel like I was missing out on some inside joke.

"…Can you explain," Fia finally said though she sounded a bit mad.

Man, her emotions always changed so quickly sometimes. She was even more of a hot-head than I was.

"Of yeah, of course! It might help if you explain to…"  
"Castiel," Fia informed.  
"Right, if you inform him about what you are then I'll explain."

"What…you are," I repeated confused. Fia shifted.

"I'll give you guys some privacy," Agatha winked, "and don't worry about them getting us here. This is a safe house for a reason," she laughed and left to another room.

I looked at Fia,  
"Fia, what did you she mean?"  
"….Castiel, this is going to sound nuts."  
"Try me."  
"…I'm a Phoenix."  
"A what," I blinked in shock.

Fia looked a bit uncomfortable,  
"A Phoenix. A firebird. With wings and all."

"Wings," I asked in disbelief.

"Wings," she repeated and she stood up. She started to take off her jacket and my eyes widened as beautiful wings stretched out behind her. I stood up and touched the wings gently in shock. I grabbed the feather on my necklace and held it out against the wings,  
"….Your feather," I realized.

"Yeah," Fia gulped, "…Phoenix feathers are pretty freaking rare and a bit sacred to us. And each Phoenix has different feathers- like stripes on a zebra. Part of our….mating ritual," she blushed, "includes giving our mate one of our feathers to wear around their necks."

I blushed,  
"That's why you got so mad at me…it was the feather…"  
"Yeah…"

"So…why are Phoenixes firebirds then," I asked curiously.

"We can control fire."

She raised her hand and I saw a few sparks on her fingertips,  
"Awesome," I smirked as I continued to feel her feathers and I saw her shiver.  
"You can feel them," I guessed, "I mean…You have feeling in your wings."  
"Yeah…that feels a bit…"  
"Intimate," I joked as I ran my fingers through her wings but she blushed.

When I realized that she was serious and that it actually did feel intimate, I blushed and stopped stroking her wings. I sat back down on the couch,  
"So…do they retract in or something?"  
"When I turn eighteen or twenty," she explained, "it's kind of like…Phoenix puberty."

I laughed. It was then that Agatha came back in,  
"Okay, dearies, now it's my turn to explain!"  
Fia folded her wings against her back as she sat down beside me,  
"You honestly don't mind," she whispered.

"It's weird," I whispered honestly, "But you're still my Fia as far as I'm concerned."

She smiled and we turned our attention back on Agatha.  
"So, as you know sweeties, the bad men are the same men that kidnapped Fia when she was four after killed her flock."  
"Flock," I questioned. Fia looked at me a bit sadly,

"My family."

My grip on her tightened and I shut my mouth.

"That men are a part of a very bad organization called _Cor Mali _which means_ Heart of Evil. _They plan on getting as many Phoenixes as they can to study them, experiment on them, vivisect, sell their feathers, and worse," Agatha explained.

At the mention of men hurting Fia, she moved a bit closer to me.

"So where do you come in," I questioned.

"I'm part of Project Phoenix. We're trained professionals, but we aren't heartless. Most of us are people who revolted or left _Cor Mali._"  
"And just what do you do," Fia narrowed her eyes. Agatha smiled,  
"We help people like you Fia. We try to get you guys out of there and doing what we can to help and protect you out here in the world. We even warned flocks of _Cor Mali _and when _Cor Mali_ attacked them, we're there to help you guys win that fight."

"So you're the good guys," I said and Agatha nodded.  
"To put it simply, yes. I have connections all around the world and even in town. Though, they just know that I'm a top-secret government worker. Least they think I am since I don't work with the government exactly. At least not _this_ government," she chuckled, "But anyway," she said cheerfully, "If you like, I can try to relocate you to somewhere else. London. Paris. Africa. Japan. Anywhere."

I looked at Fia,

"You should. You'll be safe."  
"But I can't leave without you," she whispered.  
"He could go with you," Agatha pitched in and I nodded,

"I'll gladly go with you."  
"It won't work," Fia said a bit louder, "These men will just chase me down and hunt me for the rest of my life- no matter how many times I relocate."  
"Then what do you suggest," I asked.

"We need to take them down."

Agatha cheered,  
"Oh I was hoping you would say that!"

Then there were footsteps. Fia tenses and I growled. Agatha didn't seem that concerned,

"Oh Trevor! I'm glad you made it."

Fia's hands flickered with flames,  
"What is he doing here!? He's one of them!"  
"No," the guy said, "they just _think_ I'm one of them."

Agatha chuckled,  
"Fia, you can calm down. This is Trevor, he works for Project Phoenix- an inside job."

The flames went out but she was still angry and tense. I wrapped my arm around her and rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. Trevor rudely ignored us and turned to Agatha.

"I heard your plan," he said, "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Agatha smiled, "After all, this is the last branch of _Cor Mali_ that's still active."

"What do you mean," Fia asked.

"_Cor Mali_ used to have a lot of different facilities all over the world- five in total. They were deadly, but small in numbers. Once Project Phoenix was made, we started to work on taking them down. Four of the five branches are down and this is the last one left. We already have everything set."  
"So no matter what I would've said to you, you would have taken them down anyway," Fia said in disbelief.  
"Right," Agatha smiled, "which is why we're getting you out of here before they attack again."  
"So you are going to relocate me," Fia accused.

"Yep," Agatha cheered, "And don't worry, your boyfriend can go with you! It'll be just for a short time until we're done."

"….Fine," Fia agreed and I nodded,  
"Anywhere she goes, I go."


	14. Exotic Birds

**Chapter 13- Exotic Birds:**

**Fia:  
**Pyro squawked and I was sure that she felt right at home in Hawaii. Honestly, out of all the places I expected for Agatha to send us, Hawaii wasn't one of the places that crossed my mind. Even though we've been in Hawaii for a few weeks now (it was yet safe to go back).

Castiel and I made a bet on which place we would end up and in the end Agatha won since neither of us got it. I bet on Japan, Ireland or Siberia. Castiel bet on China, Africa, or even Paris. Though Agatha admitted that she almost sent us to Japan.

Castiel had told his parents that he was taking a vacation to Hawaii and since he was eighteen, they couldn't do anything about it. Castiel did say that it was only a matter of time before they would show up demanding answers. Besides Castiel's parents, few people knew where we were. Lysander knew we went somewhere tropical and so did Rosayla. Though Rosayla was convinced that we left to Porte Rico to get eloped.

I still kept in touch with Rosayla and Castiel still kept in touch with Lysander. We couldn't talk often because Agatha didn't want the signal traced. As a result, she gave us new phones. We were still a bit weary so we didn't use them too often.

Either way, I officially decided that I liked Hawaii. I spread out my wings. I knew no one would see except for Castiel. We were on a private beach and it was almost dark out (_and I was amazed at the sunset in Amoris because gosh- it was awesome in Hawaii). _

I faced the ocean and spread my wings out behind me. I stood only in a bikini but again- it didn't bother me. I felt someone run their fingers through my wings and I shivered,

"I told you…that's intimate."

"I know," Castiel whispered in my ear and I blushed.

After two minutes, he finally stopped feeling my wings and I was as red as a tomato.

"You're wings feel so soft," he murmured.

"Castiel," I protested and he raised his hands in defense,  
"Okay, okay…I'll stop teasing you," he winked.

I nodded,  
"Thanks…"  
I noticed he was holding something in one of his hands.

"What's that?"  
"Merry Christmas," he said as he held the box out to me, "I remembered that since you were in that place since you were four and you didn't understand my reference before…I figured this was your first real Christmas in a long time."  
"It is," I whispered and I opened the box.

Inside the box was a beautiful necklace. On the end of it was a silver bird.

"It's beautiful," I whispered and Castiel helped me put it on,

"Just like you."  
"….But I didn't get you anything," I whispered a bit ashamed.

I had forgot that it was Christmas.  
"I can think of something you can give me," he whispered huskily and I shivered.

**000**

I looked to Castiel curiously. He had taken off the necklace that had my feather on it when we first got to Hawaii. I was a bit proud since he said that he didn't want to offend 'race', my traditions, or me. I bit my lip nervously.

Sneaking up behind Castiel, I put a necklace around his neck. He looked confused as he put the feather on his hand,  
"Fia? I thought you said you only gave your feathers to the love of your life or something."

"It's not just for that," I corrected, "it's also for people I trust…but in your case, it's because…you are the love of my life," I whispered. Castiel looked at me shocked but then he looked so happy that I thought he was going to burst.

"I love you," I finally said, "Damnit Red, I do love you."

He hugged me tightly and kissed me,

"I love you too…and I promise, I won't make you regret giving me your feather."

**000**

Castiel scowled and wouldn't talk to me. I huffed, _not my fault we got lost. _I looked at our rental car, _and it's not my fault that the idiot didn't get a car with a GPS._

"And here I thought birds had a good sense of direction," Castiel mumbled.  
"Well, I didn't get the memo," I snapped.

**000**

When I got out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around me loosely. I was eighteen and was able to retract my wings in a bit early- thankfully. Agatha had told me that it was taking longer than expected to take _Cor Mali _down but she said that it should be done by next month. _Finally, it's been a few months…at least long enough that I had my first Christmas since captivity and a birthday…and don't get me started on News Years…_I walked into the living room and found Castiel looked scared.

"Castiel," someone called- it sounded like a woman, "Castiel! You better get back out here and explain yourself!"

I cursed, _his parents…_I didn't even have a chance to run into the bathroom or bedroom or any room. I looked horrified as the door opened and his parents stepped through. His mother had dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. Her thin lips were parted in a gasp. His father was a bit sterner looking with black hair. He narrowed his dark gray eyes.

"Castiel," he growled, "explain."

I realized how it must look- finding your son in Hawaii with a strange woman in a bath towel. It sounded like something from a stupid soap opera (I tried to watch them but I decided that they were just terrible). At least my hair had gotten a bit longer and went to my shoulders.

I gulped.

"Mom, Dad," Castiel growled as he got up from the couch and stood protectively. I wasn't sure if that helped his case because I was just in a bath towel and he put his hand on my waist. I blushed as he continued, "This is Fia…My girlfriend."

"Castiel, don't you think it's a bit brash to move here in with her," his mother tried to reason.  
"Not when I love her."

"You can't love her," his father scoffed.  
"Well he does," I defended him and I clenched my fists, "and I love him too."  
"You're both too young to know what love it," his mother said a bit gently. _I think he told me before that his mother's name was Jane and his father was Grey._

"There's love at first sight," I argued, "So after months of dating, why can't we love each other?"  
"I don't care what you guys think," Castiel growled, "Though I would like you guys to like her…I do love her though and nothing you say can make me change my mind or heart."

_That has to be the sweetest thing he's said. _

"And what do your parents think," Jane asked softly.  
"My parents are dead," I gritted out of my teeth.

Castiel's grip tightened on me.

"Very well," his dad finally said, "Don't do anything you'll regret and we'll be at home if you ever change your mind. Until I see a wedding ring, I better not be a grandfather."

Then they left without so much as an 'I love you' or 'goodbye.' I let out a sigh in anger and relaxed. I realized that Castiel was still holding onto me. He pulled me closer.  
"Castiel," I questioned.  
"Your just in a towel."  
"I've noticed."

He looked at me and finally, he laughed,  
"You're really clueless aren't you, Birdie?"

**000**

The phone started to ring. I slowly opened my eyes and reached over Castiel to get to the phone.

"Hello," I yawned.

"_Dearie! So glad you're still alive and flying! I wanted to let you know that the coast is clear."_

I sat up, wide awake,

"You mean…?"  
"_Yes! Cor Mali is no more!"  
_I cheered and that woke up Castiel. I apologized to Agatha, gave my thanks, and then hung up. I tackled Castiel in a large hug and a smile,  
"I'm free! Castiel, I'm finally free! The _Cor Mali_ is no more!"

Castiel shared my excitement and then he calmed down,  
"Does this mean…that you want to go back to Amoris?"  
"I don't know," I answered softly, "I kind of like living here with you…it's paid for by Project Phoenix…"

"I'm okay with staying in Hawaii," Castiel finally said, "Honestly."  
"You sure?"  
"As long as I'm with you," he said nuzzling his face into the crape of my neck. I blushed,  
"Then…Hawaii it is…"

I was sure that Project Phoenix would continue to pay for the beach house- until we could buy it ourselves. And of course we would have to contact Lysander and Rosayla and make sure everything was okay...I looked to Castiel. As long as we were together, I felt that I didn't need wings to make my heart soar.

_And who knows? Maybe we'll get married here someday and have kids…_


End file.
